On the Surface

On the smooth, calm surface,

it’s tranquility and happiness

An inviting lake from faraway

that promises escape and solace

from harm of the merciless day

The house is warmly comforting

it smells of love and inner peace

The soft flowers on the countertop

mimic the life and beauty within

But that’s only on the surface;

a deceiving glimpse from a distance

If you come closer, you’ll see

that the unrippling lake is the ocean

with its dark depths full of debris

of trashed belongings and broken devotion;

it doesn’t promise certainty or escape-

the only promise is its unknown darkness

For the house, do not mistake

these smells for inner loveliness

It’s only the scented candles

that mask the rotten life within;

they’re a tiny source of light that mingle

with shadows that ultimately win,

because any single puff of negativity

kills the minuscule source of warmth

And for those flowers that thrive,

they are the only things alive

but eventually they, too, soften and wither

along with the loving allusions that

mimic the life and beauty within.